SS Author: Halumoto SHOWHEI Publisher: Shogakukan (Big Comics Superior) First published: 1 July 2000 Genre: rallying, high-spec street racing Vol #1 ISBN: 4-09-185651-9 Vol #1 cover: (click here) Price: 505 yen SS (Special Stage) is a rather new manga series - it only started in mid-2000. (And it was a nice surprise find at the local bookstore! O_o) Daibutsu is your (almost) average family man; a wife, 2 kids, a decent job at the local garage... and a regular spin at night in his Mitsubishi Starion 4WD Rally. A rallying enthusiast, he first drove an AE86 to compete in the national B-class championship. The first volume is mainly on Daibutsu's background and history (although the part where his car talks does make you wonder if he's right in the head <_<), and his first encounter with the local drivers - an Evo VI, and a Legacy. Surprised to have been beaten by an unknown Starion (even though Daibutsu blew up his gasket ^_^;), the two drivers try to find out who is the Starion driver, and is on constant lookout for a race with him. The artwork is beautiful; the cars are incredibly detailed and while the characters mostly look like a bunch of homicidal maniacs, they are drawn rather well. If you like rallying and if you like high-spec cars, buy this. Translation: Evolution 2 Random scans: Makinen Evo VI & R32 GT-R vs Starion 4WD Rally Links: Mitsubishi Starion Owners Club UK series : author

SS © Showhei Halumoto, Shogakukan