Review: Space Punch Volume 1

Abram ComicArts’ Kana has published the French manga-style story Space Punch in English, and we had the chance to take a look and review Volume 1. The original creator is ZD, while the English translation was done by James Hogan. The series hit bookstores today in the US.

We also got to exclusively share some preview images from the volume, which you’ll find below.

The Story

If Space Punch were a serialized Japanese manga, there’s no doubt it’d be in a shonen magazine. The story follows two brothers, Zach and Joe, who both struggle against the corrupt society in their own ways. Zach, the older brother, is a police officer who experiences corruption at the highest level and is unable to go against it. Joe, the younger brother, quit school and now has problems with people pushing him around, while he is too scared to go against them.

Joe was once training to be a boxer, and he quit that too for some reason not explained in the first volume. However, the volume takes the time to slowly bring him back to wanting to become stronger. While the presumed female love interest did her best, I thought she didn’t explain it enough and felt a bit too randomly convenient (for the plot). It’s a common trope in shonen stories for the weak MC to become OP quickly, and Joe clearly has the innate talent to fight with the best of them.

As I mentioned, the first volume takes the time to bring him back to speed, and most of it is pretty predictable for fans of similar stories. I did not get surprised by most things that happened plot-wise, and it actually felt like a rather predictable turn of events. The one thing that did surprise me was the addition of the super-natural elements, which did make me curious as to how they will be explained and how far it will extend. Don’t want to give any major spoilers, but the dad might be the reason why the Space Punch title will be literally justified.

The Art

Not an artist myself and certainly not an expect on it, but I found the generally simple art with occasional detailed panels easy to go through. If I were to guess its main inspiration, I’d probably go with Dr. STONE and Ace of the Diamond. I also liked the character designs, and I thought the little comedic moments sprinkled throughout were timed well and effectively.

The serious moments looked pretty good, although I thought some moments were a bit too ambitious. Things like Joe hitting the punching bag didn’t hit quite as strong as the characters seemed to have acted, but it didn’t feel as important as the really big moments which did look their part.

Now you can find the mentioned preview images from Space Punch Volume 1 below.

Overall Opinion

Overall, I found Space Punch a very enjoyable read as a fan of shonen manga and anime. Volume 1 explains the setting and main characters, and it manages to make you curious about the story. Will the two brothers work together or will Zach bend to the corrupt higher-ups? Can Joe make the world a better place with his punches? Will there be other people with supernatural abilities and how important will that be? It’s all things that make you want to pick it up and read more.

At the end of the volume, ZD also shares how he got inspired by the creator of Radiant, Tony Valente.

Space Punch Volume 1 launched in English on January 7, 2025. The series has been ongoing in France since 2021, with four volumes published by Ankama.