By Hidenori Kusaka
The Pokémon manga that follows the games closely, with more grit and higher stakes than the cartoon.
A boy named Red leaves home to become a Pokémon trainer, catching and battling his way across the region with his Poliwag and, before long, a whole team. He tangles with the criminal Team Rocket and a rival trainer, and the fights are tougher and more real than the ones on TV. It hews close to the games your child already plays.
It's Pokémon, so a child who knows the games recognizes every creature and every move, and that head start pulls them past text they'd normally give up on. It's a longer, denser read than the game comics, which suits the child who's ready for a real chapter of story between the battles, and dozens of volumes follow.