Terra Formars volume 2 - Yu Sasuga and Ken-Ichi Tachibana

 In this second volume, the main story kicks off, as the first book was the "prelude" tale of how the cockroaches came to Mars, evolved, and wiped out a crew.

So now we are up for the real deal!

Afterprocedure child and cagefighter Akiko is recruited into the U-Nasa for a new mission to Mars.  He joined the fighting circuit to raise funds for his childhood friend Yukiko, who suffered from a strange, and apparently extraterrestial disease.  However, by the time U-Nasa got to her, it was to late and she died two days before he joins them, in order to find a cure should more people suffer from it.

 

It also offers more in depth background material of course then the anime, like the tale of how Alex and Marcos who in the search for their friend Sheila join the programme. They survive the procedure and join the crew of 100 enhanced people.  But on the contrary to the mission 20 years ago, now it aren`t only insect genes implanted amongst the crew.

But as the Annex 1 approaches Mars, cockroaches invade the vessel and slaughter a few of the crew, as well as severly damaging the storage containers that hold the drug for the crew to activate their implanted powers...

A very good volume that gives some depth to the characters, before turning it's violent, graphical self once the Terra Formars sneak on board.