"A new classic of post-apocalyptic fiction" by Mark Carson (USA) on Nov 9, 2003

A school group riding on a train enters a tunnel when a sudden cataclysm kills most of the people on board and seals both ends of the tunnel. What has happened? Can the few survivors get out? And what would they be getting out to? A dramatic beginning to a "new classic" of post-apocalyptic fiction.

Maybe it says something deep about me, but I've always been a fan of survivalist tales, from accounts of the ill-fated arctic expeditions of the 19th century to the post-World War III SF stories of the '50's and '60's. Dragon Head ranks pretty well in this curious crowd; Mochizuki handles the technical details of how the characters survive (or don't) quite competently, while skillfully maintaining the tension.

The manga format seems uniquely well-suited to the story; given the isolation and loneliness the characters feel, putting in too many words would be inappropriate. And the black and white presentation is the only correct one for this story set in darkness and shadow.

The Pika edition seems quite well done, unflipped, with all the dark tones reproduced in a legible fashion.