The Summit of the Gods, Vol. 2 Paperback – November 25, 2010

I love this manga. The mountain landscapes illustrated alone are worth it. There's a very realistic aspect to the storytelling and I can't wait to read the next chapter.

...take it from me, once you start you don't be able to stop. This is addictive, but expensive, fast food reading

I've become a big fan of Jiro Tanaguchi's work, and avoided this series until I'd read everything else that's currently available in English. I enjoy hiking and live in a mountainous region, but am by no means a mountain climber. The characters and storyline of "The Summit of the Gods" series are quite compelling, however, and I ended up investing in all 5 volumes and just finished reading the 5th. I don't think they would be as interesting if any of the volumes is read as a stand-alone work, though the artwork is stunning even if you don't care about the plot.