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Review - Blade of the Immortal: Cry of the Worm TPB
Reviewed by Brandon Blatcher Life is fantastic. Even when it's horrible, it's horribly fantastic. We're meant to live, to feel our joys, our sorrows, and to learn and grow from them. If we don't, can we even say that we're alive? How does the way we live our life, effect our death? And when we're resting with the worms, will the world miss us? These questions and more populate this second collection of the monthly comic, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL. Continuing from the first trade paperback, BLOOD OF A THOUSAND (also published by Dark Horse), we again meet the immortal samurai Manji and the young girl he is helping/guarding, Rin. The pair are traveling about old Japan (around the 1800's) in search of Kagehisa Anotsu, the man responsible for the death of Rin's parents and the destruction of a number of sword schools throughout the country. While Rin is seeking vengeance, Manji is looking for atonement: he's promised to kill a thousand bad guys to make up for the 100 good guys he killed as a samurai, and he's already off to a good start. Meanwhile Anotsu has warned his warriors of the duo and the search is on to stop the two from reaching their leader. Two warriors cross Rin and Manji in separate stories and both highlight Hiroaki Samura's strengths as a storyteller. The first details Rin's discovery of her family's most prized possession and the lengths Manji goes to get it back, strengthening his bond with Rin. The second is the longer and more satisfying of the two as Manji faces another immortal samurai. Amidst all this is one the best character relationships in comics today. Manji and Rin continue to grow and become more defined as they find themselves coming to care for one another. Thankfully, it's not a sexual relationship, but one where each person fills a void or voids in the other's life. Manji is Rin's father and friend, while Rin is Manji's dead sister and chance for redemption. Neither is prepared for this development but both readily accept it. Their respective lives have been hanging by an emotional thread and each is grateful to mend frayed edges, especially Rin. Samura has done the rare treat of treating the sixteen year old Rin as if she is actually sixteen. Her tastes are fickle and mood swings often and her adult determination is mixed with childlike confusion and wavering. Rin witnessed the death of father and rape of her mother all on single night two years ago. These things still haunt her, bringing forth heartache and tears in never ending supply that feels realistic, never overdone. What's nice about this is that she isn't shown having easily gotten over her parents death and moving on to vengeance. Instead Rin moves on with about her purpose, but still finds herself torn up by the turn her life has taken. The dead may be dead and the living may have to go on, but no one ever said it would be easy. Manji continues to take the place of Rin's father as she takes the place of his sister, who's life Manji ruined. He finds himself going beyond the role of hired killer/bodyguard and taking an interest in Rin's emotional and physical wellbeing. This extends to helping her recover a stolen family heirloom in duel with an intelligent and crafty disciple of the man they are looking for. Like the first collection, Samura creates interesting villains. In the first story, a swordsman who challenges Manji, Magatsu Taito, is cast in a sympathetic light. He's fighting against the arrogance of the Japanese feudal system, which echoes the reason why Anotsu killed Rin's father. Magatsu is drawn with small details that highlight his background and life, demonstrating exactly why he came under Anotsu's tutelage. A villian he may, but he is one we understand. The second story arc has another of Anotsu's men finding Manji and Rin. This time Manji finds that he is facing another immortal, Eiku Shizuma, who life and motives mirror Manji's. Eiku is the older of two, having lived for over two hundred years. He's seen and learned many things, and now he's ready to take advantage of his experience, though he feels he needs the help of Manji. In an eye opening scene, Manji recognizes just how similar he and Eiku are, with their love of fighting amd bloody pasts. "We're killers and loving it" says Manji, but there is crucial difference. Manji knows what he is, and knows his limits. Eiku lusts after something more and Manji correctly foresees what the result would be. Oddly enough Eiku himself can't see it. Despite his years of experience, of living, he hasn't learned very much. In short, is he even alive? His encounter with Manji and Rin will answer that question. As to Samura's art, it's just too damn good. He mixes various pen and ink techniques along with fully rendered pencils to control the mood and pacing of the story. Reality flows under his touch, morphing into elegantly drawn figures, amidst moody environments. One of the things I love about Samura is his page turning effects. The righthanded pages will end with characters looking at something off panel and as you turn the page, you're treated to big, gorgeously rendered panels that convey the gravity of what the characters are seeing. It's equivalent to Steven Speilberg's signature shot of a character becoming reacting to an off screen element, then doing a reverse angle to fill the screen with what's happening, only better. Samura's trademark are his double spread pages. Usually done when characters are dueling, they confidently walk the line between horrifying and engrossing as Samura renders the deadly effects of swordplay. Simply put, Samura's art is some of the best stuff being produced in the medium today and if you don't check out an issue, then you're abusing yourself horribly. CRY OF THE WORM is a great continuation of BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL collections. We're witness to intriguing character growth in the main characters and sharply drawn villains that move and strike with purpose that brings them alive. Hiroaki Samura's art continues to create stunningly beautiful art, while enhancing his already considerable talents. This is a book you don't want to miss. Strongly Recommended
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Written and Drawn by Hiroaki Samura
