Don and Randy review an odd blend of feudal Japanese period fiction, super-hero story and cop drama in Samurai Guard.
Randy:
Because of time and money constraints, there are always comics out there that I've heard of, but just haven't had the time to investigate. Samurai Guard was one of those books, until Kirk Abrigo sent issues 1-4 to us for review.
Don:
Samurai Guard is an ambitious effort that combines the dark wonder of mystical martial arts of the East with the more contemporary drama overtones of the West. The premise is well researched and is obviously well thought and planned out, but ultimately, the inexperience of the creators eclipses the potential somewhat.
Samurai Guard #s 1-4
published by Colburn Comics
written by Kirk Abrigo
illustrated by Kirk Abrigo & Scott Goodell
edited by Barbara Abrigo
Don:
Long ago, a society of Samurai warriors, once entrusted with the protection of their ancestral land, broke off and established its own island community, separate from the rest of the world. Eventually, a community that embraced the old ways and rejected the technology of today flourished. They have their own laws and their own lives, but they must be ever vigilant to repel potential enemies. Unfortunately, thanks to some devious planning, some enemies have slipped through, and island finds itself besieged by ninja and dark magicks.
Randy:
Samurai Guard is certainly an unusual concept, and it's clear that Abrigo has put a great deal of thought into the setting and the plotline. The story involves several secret agendas, an old feud between gods, politics within the Shogunate and the Samurai Guard and plenty of martial-arts action. The book definitely grabbed my attention and made me want to know what was going to happen next.
Don:
One certainly can't accuse the creators of trading familiar territory. This isn't a case of same-old-same-old comics storytelling. Unfortunately, I think these tyro talents have bitten off more than they can chew. The cast of characters is expansive, and we only get to really know a few of them. And thanks to the unusual premise, almost alien culture and the flowery language, those few characters really aren't that accessible or comfortable.
Randy:
While I enjoyed the plot side of the book, however, the all-important nuances of characterization, exposition and other writing elements fell short of what I generally expect. Abrigo gets a lot of information into these issues, and keeps the book accessible, but the price paid is that the dialogue and narrative captions are extremely wooden and often-times very, very wordy. It's not even so much a stylized wordiness, as is often found in '80s writers like Chris Claremont or Marv Wolfman, but a dry style that is aimed at getting all the facts out there without providing any flavor dialogue or text.
Don:
It's a symptom of the larger problem: the book's complexity. This is a story about an unconventional culture, not about people. The creators have a lot to explain, and that makes for wordiness. Mind you, this grand portrait of a serene, untouched civilization is also one of the book's strengths at the same time.
Randy:
There are some interesting character archetypes here, including a benevolent god of lightning and thunder, a decorated samurai/police officer with secrets in his past and a ninja master who has put aside his wicked craft to become an ally of the good guys. Unfortunately, these characters pretty much stop at the archetype level, as their personalities are crafted to fit the story, not the other way around. Abrigo gives the characters a few stock characteristics (Benji is stoic and honorable, Raiden is clever and powerful, etc.) and never quite fleshes them out beyond that.
Like the writing, I found the artwork to be competent but not much more. It's clear that Abrigo has a good grasp of the basics of anatomy and storytelling, but the artwork never goes beyond these solid basics. The backgrounds are often sparse or nonexistent, the characters can look a little inconsistent, and the all-important action sequences are clear and easy to follow but not terribly exciting. A little more experimentation could make for a more difficult read, but it could also make for a far more exciting one, especially when the fight sequences are concerned. Also, while I found the coloring for the most part to be bright and strong, the choice to color just about everyone with a yellow face coloration seemed just odd, making this look like a book more about aliens than the Japanese.
Don:
I can't really agree about the art. I found Abrigo's figures to be inconsistently rendered, and often, the human figures appear twisted and misshapen. He seems to have particular difficulty when it comes to rendering children. The character designs aren't terribly striking either at times. Benji tends to blend into scenes, but as one of the key players in the drama, he needs to stand out. Though I'm impressed to find an indy book such as this presented in color, the colors are unusually bright, especially given the more grave atmosphere of the story. I'm guessing the book might have been stronger in black-and-white.
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