FLCL volume 1 - Hajime Ueda and Gainax

 Created all the way back in 1999, this manga, written by the creator of End of Evangelion is now the oldest series in my restarted colection.

But is it also any fun?

Noata lives in the backwater village of Mabase with his perverted father, nutty grandfather and the dumb ex-girlfriend of his older brother, who moved to the United States.  One day, a bassguitar playing arrives and seeks him out, to find help in a battle against Earth threatening robots.

These robots come out of his forehead though, and while he tries to figure out what is happening and continue his normal life, the alien watches his back.  Known in town as "Vespa girl" she tells him what is going on in the greater universe, but Noata is in denial.

But together with Haruka (aka the Vespa Girl), he tries to cope with it all, discovering his brain is missing for one.  Through her powers, he finds out that the school that went down in flames earlier was actually started by the maid girl his dad hired.

Haruka and Noata elope from school, only to be seemingly attacked by a big robot.  Noata is absorbed by his robot maid, becoming a sort of mobile suit that allows him to stand up to the machine.  When they settle the matter, they watch a group of elderly people play crocquet, and he comes to terms with the fact he has become a mutant warrior...

To be honest, I`m not sold on this one after the first of the two volumes, the rather crude drawing style being an issue for me for one.  It kind of reminds me of those short panel gag's in style, not really suited for a full story.

But we'll see what the next volume brings, and if the series can partly redeem itself to me as such!