Another example of brilliance
If you aren't yet familiar with this series, it is exemplary in art and storytelling, and a must for anyone curious or interested in great comics.
This volume has things becoming considerably more complex- suddenly, the predators of the past novels have become the prey and the protagonists, Rin and Manji, find themselves joining forces with a shifty group of assassins to go after the Itto-Ryu.
This volume is beautifully drawn and contains impactful story developments, as well as the subtle interaction between the characters that makes them so loveable (or despicable). Not for kids, but absolutely worth reading.
"Those who gain power must pay a price"
Manji and Rin have found that there are others who seek the life of Anotsu Kagehisa. The deadly leader of the Itto-ryu has left a grand trail of death behind him - Rin's parents are only a few of the victims. Now the two wanderers have met up with six Mugai-ryu assassins with whom they seem to share cause. In a bathhouse in Edo, they hash out the arrangement. Manji agrees to help the assassins in return for information about the Itto-ryu.For a time they wait. Rin finds she has some things in common with the blonde Hyakurin, and unusual woman who is the head of the assassins. Of course, Manji does what he always does during periods of boredom - he sleeps. However, for a short period there is something that resembles peace. Then word comes that Anotsu is planning to leave Edo for Kaga, disguised as a woman. Tensions mount almost unbearably as the team waits for the killer to try to sneak by. Suddenly everything happens at once. The disarming pace of the opening stanzas is abandoned, and suddenly the reader is in the midst of not one, but four violent confrontations. Weapons and parts fly in an utterly psychotic display of unsuppressed anger. To be honest, even the fine artwork does little to mask the horror of the fight scenes. I found this all a bit too chaotic - it took me several readings to put together who is killing who for what reason. Hiroaki Samura clearly has a message other than the glorification of fancy sword work. Because of the amount of violence used to make his point it is a bit too easy to miss the fact that this series really is not about the thrills of wholesale murder and revenge. The question is whether there will be any survivors to benefit from their individual epiphanies.
That's Pretty Disturbing Stuff...
Ok, kids. Let's start by saying that Blade of the Immortal is just about my favorite comic book ever (the whole series gets a big ol' kudos), but this has got to be (thus far) the best volume released. Samura's artwork has progressed quite a bit since his early days on the book; it's cleaner, meaner, and more fluid than ever before, and he seems to have grown as a writer, as well. I've read comics for a long time, and cannot remember the last time a book's pacing was brilliant enough to literally make me forget to breath for a few pages. Additionally, this compendium contains brilliant characterization, leading to one of the most loathesome characters I've ever viewed in any graphic medium. It's not just the things Samura has his characters do, it's the attitudes they have, and the subtle nuances of body language he gives them that really make this book shine. All in all, a remarkably well-rounded series, balancing lush art with break-neck pacing and three-dimensional characters, Blade of the Immortal will suck you in, beat you senseless, and then demand you come back for seconds.
Check for more reviews on Amazon.com
Similar Products:
|
