I read the first one, as per my ex-girlfriends recommendation. IT was fairly good.
Just finished up Watchmen, mainstream by watmm standards, but I had never read it. I think the best part of it was Black Freighter, it was all metacomic, and it involves pirates and he rides some bloated corpses to shore. I didn't even know corpses could inflate like that, probably not even possible, should be on an episode of myth busters
Yah you have to read ALL the Akira novels. I got an amazon gift card and just took the plunge for all six. NO REGRETS.