title: AX Volume 1: A Collection of Alternative Manga
author: Various
description: Wilson has teamed with Asakawa, an editor of the bimonthly Japanese magazine Ax, which prints alternative and experimental comics, to select works from 33 artists for this first English-language collection. As with any collection, there are hits and misses that are dependent upon the individual tastes of the reader. Some of the comics presented here are deep and introspective, others rely on off-kilter potty or sexual humor, and others still are horrific looks into the human psyche. And, lest anyone forget that manga is not a style of art but merely the Japanese word for comic, the artwork in this anthology will be a forceful reminder: it wanders as far across the map of styles as the writing does, ranging from rough, almost childlike pieces to lushly detailed creations. Violence, sexual situations, language, and adult themes reserve this for assuredly mature audiences, but libraries with alternative-comic fans or manga readers looking to move beyond the usual translated works would do well to add this collection. --Snow Wildsmith
zlib_text:   1. [ACHING FOR AXE](chapter-1.xhtml)
      1. [Chapter 1](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-76)
      2. [Chapter 2](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-118)
      3. [Chapter 3](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-165)
      4. [Chapter 4](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-216)
      5. [Chapter 5](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-277)
      6. [Chapter 6](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-337)
      7. [Chapter 7](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-396)
      8. [Chapter 8](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-450)
      9. [Chapter 9](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-509)
      10. [Chapter 10](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-574)
      11. [Chapter 11](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-622)
      12. [Chapter 12](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-688)
      13. [Chapter 13](chapter-1.xhtml#chapter-1-738)
  
  
  
  
  
  ![cover-image, Aching for Axe](images/image1.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  ￼![ff-aching-axe-gw](images/image1-1.jpg)
  
  Getting Woodsy 1
  
  Aching for Axe
  
  Environmentalist Everett James’ life is in pieces. He’s homeless, his job
  doesn’t pay much and his love life is in tatters. Saving a century-old redwood
  from an illeg