Writers: Gunter and Oeming
Artists: Shannon (p), Oeming (i)
Publisher: Image
The original three issue series is collected here with a gallery section, 3 back-up stories and a 5 page prologue that saves you having to waste time trying to figure out what it’s all about for the first 20 pages. Why this wasn’t included the first time round is beyond me as it makes reading this book a lot more tolerable.
The basic premise is that samurai death matches take place on rooftops in Manhattan. One combatant, after a particularly nasty battle, wants them to stop.
The artwork from Shannon could very easily be mistaken for Oeming’s. It’s animated and brutal with a freneticism that comes from watching too many cartoons and Hong Kong action flicks, probably at the same time. The computer colouring is obvious, particularly in the climactic sword fight that takes place in a shower of clichés (sorry, I meant blossom). It’s visually exciting, and for some this will be enough, there are great fights, lots of blood and a touch of fan-service thrown in for all.
I really wish I could like this more than I do. I love the art and the idea of samurai in a modern setting is fun. Bastard Samurai even with its self-appointed and wholly undeserved "noir" status, is just juvenile and if I wanted that I’d watch/read Cartoon Network’s Samurai Jack (one-shot may be available to order), which at least has a talking dog in it. The story, which had the potential to be engaging or at the very least interesting, is a let down. It’s ham-fisted and awkward and falls back on mysticism to provide the momentum rather than character development. It’s further hampered by a script that wishes it was effortlessly cool, but instead is just effortless. I’ll leave you with the final exchange from the book.
"What now?"
"We live - -
- - Until we die."
Quite.
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