TITAN KING

Kidnapped and forced to participate in an intergalactic tournament, a hotheaded Honduran teen must train and team up with a terrifyingly powerful beast to survive.

On a bus ride to military school after a skirmish with local cartel goons, Eli Santos finds himself in a whole new heap of trouble when an otherworldly space automaton blasts onto the road to capture the high schooler. Aboard the spaceship, Eli meets sly Akilio, prince of Planet Hive and the Malicidae, who informs the teen that he’s been chosen to participate in the Titan King tournament. The annual event—a flashy tribute to a bloody war between the Appoloi and Malicidae that occurred eons ago—necessitates that each participant bond with a mighty titan, a towering monster with tremendous power. Fortunately, Eli is paired with Rexleo, an equally tenacious, massive, lionlike beast who pushes Eli to his limits. As Eli fights to get back home to Earth, befriending a couple of interstellar titan riders in the process, he discovers that galaxywide peace remains tenuous. Chock full of action and cool manga-flavored power-ups, this series opener features otherworldly intrigue and romps. Some exposition-heavy dialogue drags on, seemingly necessary for the worldbuilding, but soon enough, the frenetic, over-the-top battles sling right back into focus. Though Eli mostly remains a one-note character, forthcoming installments promise more conspiracies and adventures.

Somewhat overstuffed, but fans of kaiju-lite battles will enjoy the action.