Recently Read: Naruto Vol. 28, by Masashi Kishimoto

With Volume 28 of the series, Masashi Kishimoto jump the narrative over two years into the future. The reunion of Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi is poignant and fun, with the trio reliving and updating their earliest training together (minus the rogue Sasuke).

Much needed downtime is interrupted by a most dangerous threat. Members of the Akatsuki (of which Orochimaru is a member) arrive at the Sand Village to kidnap a reformed Gaara (Lord Kazekage). Sasori and Deidara are some of the most lethal and creepy antagonists yet, a threat Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, must respond to.

Twenty-eight volumes into the series, Kishimoto's storytelling remains at a high level, well-paced, inventive, suspenseful, with fabulous art and superlative characterization. It's a great start to the series' second half. 

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Recently Read: Naruto Vol. 17

 

The narrative gets slowed down a bit in Vol. 17, to the story's benefit. The first half pits the evil Itachi and Kisame against Sasuke, Naruto and Jiraiya, with a disturbing flashback involving the senseless murder of Sasuke and Itachi's parents. The remainder of the book involves Jiraiya's training of Naruto, with scenes of the reckless, gambling-addicted Tsunade on the side. Along the way, Orochimaru tends his wounds and plans revenge. Sakura seems to sadly be getting shunted to the side in the current storylines; she's relegated to three small panels in this volume.

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Recently Read: Naruto, Vol. 15: Naruto's Ninja Handbook!

 

"Naruto's Ninja Handbook!" is a balancing act, both intimate and epic. In its first half, more of Gaara's back story is revealed: his attempts at learning about the concepts of love and pain from his aunt, Yashamaru, end in tragedy, cementing his psychological destiny. Meanwhile, the sand spirit Shukaku continues to achieve complete control of Gaara's bloated, morphing and ever growing body, requiring Naruto to summon help from the dubious (but equally large and powerful) pipe-smoking toad Gamabunta. This begins a battle of gargantuan proportions (taking place, fortunately, in a wooded area). Sasuke is still physically spent, Sakura is still trapped, and only Naruto and Gamabunta (and Gamabunta's mini-toad son, Gamakichi, literally along for the ride) have a chance at stopping the homicidal Gaara. This is amazing cartooning.

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Recently Read: Naruto, Vol. 13

 

After a relatively quiet volume (for Naruto), Vol. 13 explodes with action and tension.
It starts with one of the grandest entrances in all of comics, as Kakashi and Sakura
mysteriously return to the Chunin exams. Before the match between Sakura and the psychopathic Gaara begins, Naruto and Shikamaru are innocent bystanders to Gaara slaughtering two toughs who ask him to throw his bout for Lords betting on the matches. 

Finally, after several volumes of suspense, Sakura and Gaara's match begins, but isn't completed before Orochimaru's well-planned civil war begins and the life of the fourth Hokage and the safety of all of Konoha is in jeopardy. This is superior and amazing storytelling by the great author and artist Masashi Kishimoto. 

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Recently Read: Naruto, Vol. 6

The Forest of Death plot line isn't going as I would have preferred (I was hoping for a
more traditional, Hunger Games-type contest), but it has gotten a lot more complicated.
Anko, one of the Konohagakure Academy's proctors, finds three dead bodies, minus faces, and surmises it's the work of the immortality-seeking Orochimaru. She takes off in pursuit of him.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Naruto have lost consciousness after a fight over one of the
sacred scrolls with an enemy ninja, leaving Sakura to defend them from the threat of
Team Dosu. Sakura becomes a stronger character here, and the Sakura-smitten Rock Lee also comes to her defense.

This is a jam-packed volume and it ups the ante on the complexity of Naruto's world
and the ever-widening past connections of so many characters involved in it. Masashi
Kishimoto's art is expressive and beautiful, as always, and in this volume he highlights
some of his artist assistants.

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Recently Read: Naruto Book 5: The Challengers

The centerpiece of Naruto Book Five: The Challengers is a 110-page exam sequence; our ninja-in-training heroes Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke take the Chûnin Exams, in order to become full-fledged shinobi. This could be the most suspenseful exam sequence in comics, where the rules may be designed to be subverted, the room is monitored by a wall of over-lookers, alliances are made, and psychological pressure is intrinsic to the test.

A second, Hunger Games-like test taking place in the Forest of Death is set up and continues into Book Six

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