|
VAGABOND #1-3
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
|
Viz Comics
Writer/Artist: Takehiko Inoue
English Adaptation: Yuji Oniki
Editor: Andy Nakatani
Price: $4.95 US/$7.95 CAN |
Though I'm only a little bit familiar with Japanese culture, even I know of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, upon whom Vagabond is
based. However, it seems I don't know enough, because after reading three
issues, I'm still kind of unclear on what this book has to do with him, unless
Musashi was an assumed name. The first three issues of this book tell the story
of a pair of friends on the losing side of a war, who on the way home encounter
an unusual woman and some bandits that change the course of their lives. It's
quite beautiful to look at, and intriguing in its way, but the decision to print
right to left and some general storytelling troubles made it a really difficult
read for me. In the end, I want to like this book a lot more than I actually do
like it.
A certain amount of unfamiliarity is to be expected with manga, especially manga that looks into Japan's history. However, I feel like Vagabond is
aimed purely at Japanese history enthusiasts, with no consideration given to
casual fans of manga or samurai epics. The names, the history, basically the
context of the story is a blur to me. I can't fairly judge the motivations of
most of the players, aside from the base human emotions that drive parts of the
story, and as a result I'm often completely lost.
The story is at its best when it focuses on those human emotions. I may not understand the forces at war in Vagabond, but I can understand a man who has abandoned
his fiancée for the love of a dangerous woman. I can grasp the intricacies of a
friendship between two different young men, and how both of them are struggling
to define themselves. Where Inoue falls down is in the complications, as I am
often unsure of the relationships between various characters, and can't figure
out why they are acting the way they do. The relationship between Takezo and
Otsu is particularly confusing, as it seems the two of them have a closeness
that Otsu didn't have with her fiancé Matahatchi.
Part of that confusion, in
fact a large part of it, is in the choice that Viz has made to print the manga
in its original form. This means that the story reads from back to front, right
to left, completely opposite of the way I'm used to reading. While this sounds
like a relatively easy transition to make, Inoue's unusual panel arrangements on
top of this unfamiliar style combine to create a lot of confusion in the
reading. I found it hard to follow a lot of the conversations, as I was reading
transitional sentences in the wrong places or order, or there weren't proper
transitions in the dialogue anyway.
 However, while the story does fail for me on a lot of basic storytelling
levels, I have to appreciate the craft involved. Inoue's artwork is flat-out
gorgeous, whether it's in the brief color sections or in black and white. There
is a stunning amount of detail in the backgrounds and in the character designs,
and it's clear that there has been a lot of research into the costumes, weapons
and settings of the era. In addition, the concept at the heart of the story, a
coming of age story with plenty of action, is a good one.
In the end, though I'm often confused by Vagabond, I still find myself drawn to the story. I wonder if, when the series is further along and the story can be seen in context, I won't find myself appreciating it more. In addition, while Vagabond isn't my cup of tea, those seeking more comics in the vein of Lone Wolf and Cub should definitely check it out, as it
boasts a lot in common with that well-regarded manga classic.
These
comic books were not part of this week's new releases.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
